Yesterday morning, President Obama made time on his busy schedule to give brief interviews to reporters from several “swing” states. The markets hit included Roanoke, VA; Jacksonville, FL; Greenville, SC; Sioux City, IA; Green Bay, WI; Colorado Springs, CO; Reno, NV; and Fresno, CA (note: if all of these states are actually in play, then Obama is obviously in a bigger world of hurt than anybody previously imagined).

As anybody could have predicted (and judging by the president’s clearly rehearsed answer, he and his handlers did), the reporter from Green Bay, WBAY’s Mike Smith, asked about the president’s notable absence from Wisconsin during the run-up to the recall election foisted on the state by union and Democrat leaders whose eyes turned out to be far bigger than their stomachs.